Electric engine-starter.



M. PLMITCH'ELL.

ELECTRIC ENGINE STARTER. APPLiCATlON FILED 0on4, 1915.

1,264,324. Patented Apr. 30, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Witnesses/ inventor by CW.

Attorneys.

M. P. MITCHELL.

ELECTRIC ENGINE STARTER. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 4, I915.

Patented Apr. 30, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SH EET Z.

Witnesses I Inventor,

Attorneys MARY PIERSON MITCHELL, OF EATON, OHIO.

ELECTRIC ENGINE-STARTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 30, 1918.

Application filed October 4, 1915. Serial No. 54,053.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARY P. MITCHELL, a citizen of the United States, residingat Eaton, in the count of Preble and State of Ohio, have invente a new and useful Electric Engine-Starter, of which the following is a specification.

The device forming-the subject matter of this application is an electric starter for internal combustion engines and the invention aims to provide a starter of this type adapted to be controlled by a motor generator.

One object of the invention is to provide novel means whereby a motor generator may be coupled up operatively with the shaft of the engine to start the engine, the engine subsequently operating the motor generator as a generator, manually operable or automatic means being provided whereby the motor glengrator may be uncoupled from the engine s a t.

I It is within the province of the disclosure to improve generally and to enhance the utility of devices of that type to which the present invention appertains.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 shows in side elevation, a motor vehicle wherewith the structure forming the subject matter of this application has been assembled, parts being broken away;

Fig. 2 is a top plan of a motor vehicle embodying-the present invention;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken approximately on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fi 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a diagram illustrating one installation of the present invention.

The engine starter herein disclosed may beused on the gasolene engines of submarines and air craft but the starter may be used upon a motor vehicle and by way of illustration, there has been showirin the drawings, a motor Vehicle 1 driven by an internal combustion engine 2, the shaft of which is denoted by the reference character ends, as shown at 8. Suitable means is provided foroperatively connecting the shaft 3 of thelengine 2 witha motor generator 9, and thiscmean's ma be of any desired form. The shaft 3 of t 1e engine 2 carries a cog wheel 5 which may if desired be fashioned on the rim of the flywheel. The cog wheel 5 may be inclosed within a suitable casing G-Which may be provided with one or more detachable closures 7 held in place by securing elements 8.

The numeral 9 denotes a motor generator or other suitable structure adapted for the functions hereinafter mentioned. The shaft 10 of the motor generator projects within the casing 6 and carries a screw 11 upon which is mounted to move a pinion 12 adapted to mesh into the cog wheel 5 on the engine shaft 3. A compression brake spring 500 may be interposed between the casing of the generator 9 and the pinion 12 to aid in controlling the latter. The end of the screw 11 is equipped with a head 14: against which the inion 12 is adapted to abut, under circumstances which will be pointed out hereinafter. The head 14 may carry a bracket 15 upon which is fulcruined intermediate its 17, a lever 16 having a forked end in which are located enlarged openings 18 receiving-a pin 19 mounted on a latch 20 slidably received in the head 14c and adapted to cotiperate with a seat 21 fashioned in the head 1a. One end ofthe latch QO'carries an armature 22 responsive to an electro-magnet 23.

The numeral 24 indicates a storage battery and the numeral 25 indicates a circuit including the clectro-inag'net 23, the motor generator 9, the storage battery 24, a suitable switch 27 and an overload switch 26.

A second circuit 28 may include a horn 29 or other signal in the automobile, and in the circuit 28 is interposed a switch 30. A third circuit 31 may include the lamps 32 on the vehicle, cigar lighters or the like, and in the circuit 3] may be placed a switch 33. From the foregoing it will be obvious that current supplied from the storage battery 24.- may be cmployedfor any desired purpose on the motor vehicle or 0t er structure wherewith the device forming the subject matter of this application is assembled.

Tn practical operatibn, the circuit is closed by the switch 37, and the motor gen orator, acting as a motoigwill be put into operation, the shaft 10 and-tho screw 11 being rotated. When the screw 11 is 1'0- rated, the inion 1f owing to its inertia, be

cause of t e dragging action of the spring 500, and owing to the fast that the pinion almost immediately is engaged with the cog wheel 5, moves along the screw 11 from the dotted line position of Fig. 3 to the solid line position therein, the pinion being brought into mesh with the cog wheel 5 on the engine shaft 3, the pinion abuttin against the head 14. When the circuit 25 is-closed, the electro-magnet 93 is energized, the armature 22 is attracted, the lever 16 tilts on its fulcrum 17, and the latch 20 is advanced and is pressed yielding-1y against the outer face of the pinion 12, the pinion rotating until the extremity of the latch is engaged in the seat 21, as clearly shown in Fig. 3.

When the parts are arranged as above described, the'motor generator 9 or its equivalent will impart a forcible rotation to the shaft 3 of the engine and put the engine into operation.

As the engine speeds up, it ultimately becomes a driving means for the motor generator 9, through a gear train comprising the cog wheel 5, the pinion 12 and the screw shaft 10-41. Under such circumstances, the pinion 12 does not travel along the screw 11 toward the motor generator 9, but re mains operatively connected with the head 14, because the pinion 12 is engaged by the latch 20. The motor generator or its equivalent, acting as a generator, charges the battery 24 to a perdeterminecl extent. When the circuit is opened, the electro-Inagnet 23 is denergized and no longer attracts the armature 22 on the lever 16. Thereupon a spring 3a which is interposed between one end of the lever 16 and the head 14: reacts and withdraws the latch 20' out of the seat 21 in the pinion 12. Then, the cog wheel 5 on the engine shaft 3 rotates the pinion 12, and the pinion 12 travels along the screw shaft 11 until it assumes the dotted line osition of Fig. 3, the motor generator thus eing uncoupled automatically from the engine shaft.

In claiming the invention 1 shall use the term motor-generator structure to designate a motor generator, a motor and gen-- erator or any device which will replace such mechanisms in. practical operation.

The spring; 34 is somewhat sluggish action, and although it may start the latch 20 out of the recess 21 during} the interval. in which the member 9 is changing from a motor to a generator, it will not retract the latch completely during that interval. 9

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed .is:- I

1. In a starter of the class described, an engine shaft; a driving element thereon; a motor generator structure including a screw shaft; a driving member threaded onto the screw shaft and movable thereby to coact with the driving element on. the engine shaft; and movable means coacting with the driving member and the screw shaft to couplc the driving member to the screw shaft.

2. In a starter of the class described, an engine shaft; a driving element thereon; a motor generator structure including a screw shaft; a drivingm em her mounted on the screw shaft and movable thereby to engage with the driving element; means for coupling the driving member to the screw shaft for rotation therewith; and electrdmagiietic mechanism to which said means is responsive,

In a starter of the class described, an engine shaft; a motor generator structure including a screw shaft; a cog wheel fixed to the engine shaft; a pinion adapted to mesh into the cog wheel and movable along the screw shaft; means on the screw shaft and 3 coacting with the pinion to hold the pinion against rotation when. the pinion is in mesh with the cog wheel; and releasable latch mechanism eoactin with the pinion to hold the pinion detacha ly in mesh withv the cog wheel when the relative speeds of the pinion and the screw shaft change.

4. in starter of the class described, an engine shaft; a cog wheel fired thereto; a motor generator structure including a screw shaft; a pinion adapted totraverse the screw shaft and to mesh into the cog; wheel; head on the screw shaft, against which the pinion. is adapted to abut; a latch mechanism mounted on the head and coacting with the pinion, the latch mechanism including an armature; and an electromagnet to which the armature is responsive.

5. In a starter of the class described, .an engine shaft; a driving element thereon; a motor generator structure including a screw shaf a driving element threaded onto the screw shaft and movable thereby to coact with the driving element on the engine shaft; movable means enacting with the movable member and the screw shaft to couple the movable member with the screw shaft; a compression spring abutting against the driving element on the screw shaft, at one end, and an abutment for the other end of the spring.

a starter of the class described, an engine shaft; a driving element thereon; a motor generator structure including a screw shaft; a driving member threaded onto the screw shaft and movable thereby to coaot with the driving element on the engine shaft; movable means eoacting with the driving member and the screw shaft to couple the driving member to the screw shaft; and springs disposed on opposite sides of the driving member, and coacting, respectively, with the driving member and with said movable i. in a starter of the class described, an 139 Shaft; a driving member mounted on the screw shaft and movable thereby to engage with the driving element; means for coupling theE-driving member to the screw shaft for rotation therewih; an electro-magnetic mechanism to which said means is responsive; and springs disposed on.oppositesides of the driving member; one of said springs coa'cting with the drivin'gmember, and the other of said springs coacting with the 0011-" pling means. 1

8. In a starter of the class described, an engine shaft; a motor generator structure including a screw shaft; a cog wheel fixed to the engine shaft; a pinion adapted to mesh into the cog wheel and movable along the screw shaft; a spring on the screw shaft and coacting with one side of the pinion to hold the pinion against rotation when the pinion is in mesh with the cog wheel; releasable latch mechanism coacting with thepinion to hold the pinion detachably in mesh with the cog wheel when the relation speeds of the pinion andthe screw shaft change; and a spring located on the other sideof the pinion and ceacting with the releasab e latch mechanism.

9. In a starter of thefclass described, an engine shaft; a cog wheel fixed thereto; a

motor generator structure ind'uding a screw A shaft; a pinion adapted'to traverse he screw shaft and to IHGSh IIIt O the c'o' wheel; a

rin en a in one side of tli'e inion' a b 5 g head on the screw shaft, against which the pinion is adapted to nism mounted on the head and coactin with the pinion, the latch mechanism incfuding an armature; an electro-magnet to which the armature is responsive; and a spr ng located on the other side of the pinion and coacting with the latch mechanism.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have heretocaflixed my signature in the presence of ,two Witnesses.

' MARY PIERSON MITCHELL.

Witnesses: v I

HARRY L. RISINGER, J 0m: RISINGER.

abut; a latch mecha- 

